Beneath the shade of a tree in Doddabele, a small settlement on the outskirts of Bangalore, daily meals were offered to fifty children. In less than fifteen years, that quiet beginning blossomed into the largest fortified breakfast programme in the world, now offering a nutritious morning meal each day to more than ten million children, free of charge.
In 2012, something profoundly significant began on the humblest of scales. One of the most inspiring initiatives of the OWOF Organization—the Annapoorna Programme—was born as a breakfast nourishment effort, starting with just a couple, Anand and Radhika, along with a handful of friends, and the constant guidance and support of the Guru at every step.
Under the unceasing guidance of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, the programme was founded upon a simple yet powerful vision: "Let No Child Go To School Hungry, Ever!" especially the children of rural and impoverished regions.
To understand the depth of this offering, one must pause and look closely at the lives of the children whom the Annapoorna volunteers encountered. These children come from families living in deep poverty. Before dawn, their parents leave for work—most often to labour in the fields—returning only late in the afternoon. A modest meal of rice is prepared, and the day ends in exhaustion. The following morning, the children once again set off for school on empty stomachs, remaining hungry until afternoon. Many would faint in class due to malnutrition, while others stopped attending school altogether.
At first, it was merely the scent of warm food that drew them toward the breakfast bench. Slowly, gently—through attendance registers, personal identification cards, and above all through a steady, warm human presence—those dropout children returned to school. In time, the fainting ceased. Concentration and participation in the classroom rose significantly. And most importantly, the children grew happier, healthier, and more vivid.
What follows are the voices of two school principals who witnessed this transformation firsthand:
“The children have now shown clear improvement in their academic performance. Their participation has increased, and their overall health has improved as well,” said one school principal.
“In the past, some of our children would faint or sit down during the morning prayers. That has now completely stopped. Every day, these volunteers arrive to serve our children, and their dedication deeply inspires us. I sincerely hope this breakfast initiative reaches every school,” shared the Principal of the Government Primary School of Bodaganahalli, Chikkaballapur, Karnataka.
The Principal of the Government Primary School of Tippenahalli, also in Chikkaballapur, adds:
“Most of our students’ parents leave for work early in the morning. This breakfast programme not only nourishes the children physically but also motivates them to pursue education. I feel they absorb human values simply by witnessing this daily act of service. I am certain it will inspire them to serve society themselves when they grow up.
We have formed a tender bond with the Annapoorna volunteers. We work closely together, and they respond immediately to our concerns and suggestions. The fact that they dedicate time each morning before heading to their offices and businesses has left a deep imprint on the young minds of these emerging citizens. Inspired by this service, many children now openly express their wish to offer service themselves when they enter working life.”
What follows in the next article is the multi-layered evolution of the Annapoorna Programme and its to-the-point, wonderful response to what is known as “hidden hunger.” Only Mommies can think and act like that...
To be continued…
These reflections, and many like them, ornamented my mind with a quiet tenderness and my face with a barely perceptible smile—just enough not to disturb the delicate feeling evoked by an act of humble humanity and of a great vision. I wandered through the beautiful gardens and open courtyards of a place both sacred and mysterious, feeling peaceful, content, and deeply at ease, observing thousands of faces from so many different places, with so many stories, experiences, dreams, and challenges—yet all of them united by one single thing: a love for the same Being.
The World Cultural Festival was in full swing.
Week Two: Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Another week rich and compelling, accompanied by exquisite music from Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and East Asia.
Each speaker was more passionate than the last. We listened as they spoke of a journey from experiencing oneself as a part of the whole to becoming the whole itself, through the art of renunciation. Renunciation of what? Of the longing to belong merely as a fragment—and the courage to aspire to live as the whole. Think about it...
We heard how pain and sorrow, when met with responsibility and awareness, can become pathways to growth; and how a country at one edge of the world can awaken feelings of safety and brotherly love in another, far away, through acts of selfless compassion.
We took part in the celebrations of Swarna Gowri Vratha, a festival honouring the Feminine Aspect of Divinity, preserving a legacy of bliss that flows from devotion to the Goddess and from communion with Her.
During Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the most revered deities of the Indian Pantheon, Sri Ganesha, is celebrated. He is worshipped—even by the gods themselves—as the first to be invoked before any endeavour, spiritual or worldly, for new beginnings, clarity of thought, and harmony in life.
May Their grace rest upon us—and upon this work.
Useful links:
annapoorna.org.in
Sri Madhusudan Sai Global Humanitarian Mission
One World One Family World Cultural Festival 2025
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